Visual poetry on Karnataka ‘known and unknown’

This book can only point at destinations, it is up to viewers to explore the path and experience them on their own, says Mr. Vitla.

This is one book that can bring the beauty of every nook and corner of Karnataka in pictures to a coffee table. Celebrated filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli says, “It unveils the ‘unfamiliar’ in the familiar and ‘beauty’ in the ordinary”.

Though there are about half a dozen coffee table books on Karnataka, including Exploring Karnatakaby the doyen of Indian photography T.S. Satyan, Facets of Karnataka – A Pictorial Journey by freelance photojournalist Keshava Vitla provides a new vision of Karnataka “with its pictures looking back at us, revealing their natural beauty”, according to late writer U.R. Ananthamurthy.

Facets of Karnataka will be released by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath on Thursday. Renowned artist S.G. Vasudev will be present on the occasion.

A decade’s effort

Mr. Vitla, who claims this to be the first independently produced coffee table book on Karnataka’s diverse landscapes, says, “I worked for nearly a decade to bring out this book. I have travelled all over Karnataka and seen the land in its entirety”. Making it was not incident free either, Mr. Vitla had a close shave when he fell while capturing frames of Jamalabad fort at Gadaikallu in Dakshina Kannada district.

125 destinations

The photographer has covered 125 destinations. This book can only point at destinations, it is up to viewers to explore the path and experience them on their own, says Mr. Vitla.According to internationally renowned wildlife filmmakers Krupakar and Senani, Facets of Karnataka is a brew which can come in handy to save the viewer from the exhaustion of life.

Original Post THE HINDU May 11 2015; Special Correspondent.

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